The invention relates to an electronic part more especially for a control means having valves, comprising externally accessible electrical terminal or connection means for the connection of at least one electrical conductor leading to external equipment, and at least one internal electronic unit, which is connected with the electrical terminal means electrically.
The European patent publication 0 629 783 A1 discloses a control means having valves, which is employed for the control of fluid power operated drives. In addition to the valve part comprising the valves the control means furthermore comprises a modularly designed electronic part including several electronic modules, which is provided with electrical input and output terminals rendering possible the connection of, for example, sensors and of electrically operated actuators. In order to be able to connect such components the electronic part is provided with externally accessible terminal means, which are for example based on plug and socket technology and permit the connection of the electrical lines leading to the components, and more particularly cables.
As regards of the electrical terminal means the electronic part is as a rule customized to suit the needs of the user. Dependent on the requirements of the respective application the terminal means are, dependent of the case in hand, designed as for example round plugs with different diameters, as flat plugs, or in an other suitable terminal technology. This leads to high production and stock holding costs, since a large number of different designs of the electronic part must be kept available.
Accordingly it is one object of the present invention to provide an electronic part of the type initially mentioned, whose electrical connection technology is so fashioned that the desires of the customer may be taken into account with less complexity and effort.
In order to achieve this object there is the provision that the terminal means are made part of at least one adapter, which is arranged in a replaceable manner on a mounting site, provided therefor, of a base of the electronic part, said base having the internal electronic unit, and said adapter possessing standardized first electrical interface means, said interface means being connected with the electronic terminal means, provided thereon, which interface means, on mounting and, respectively, dismounting of the adapter on and respectively from second electrical standardized interface means provided on the base and connected with the internal electronic unit, are electrically contacted and, respectively, put out of contact in such a manner that on one and the same mounting site the base may be selectively fitted with different adapters, which have respectively different electrical means.
It is in this manner that within the electronic part there is separation of electrical function and connection technology, the first and second electrical interface means, which cooperate with each other, constituting the disconnectable interface between the two components. The electrical or, respectively, electronic function, as for example preset control quantities and/or electronic memory measures, which is independent from the selected connection technology and in this respect does not need any adaptation, will remain as a component of the internal electronic unit in the base of the electronic part. The individually selected connection technology is provided on an adapter, which can be mounted on a mounting side provided for it on the base, there being the possibility of mounting the adapters, which as regards their connection technology are differently designed, selectively on one and the same mounting site. In order to fulfill different requirements of customers the electronic part is accordingly only to be fitted with the corresponding adapter, whose terminal means comply with the desired preset quantities or specifications. Such a modular design furthermore renders it possible to meet fluctuating demands for numbers of items, since a base fitted with the expensive electronic components may be made available in a uniform design structure for all applications, and it then merely has to be fitted with one or more adapters possessing the desired terminal means for customization. Moreover, the user has the possibility of being able to make later changes in the connection technology without having to completely change over the electronic part.
Further advantageous developments of the invention are defined in the dependent claims.
The electrical terminal means may for example form electrical outputs and/or inputs, which render possible the connection of sensors and/or actuators.
The electronic part may be so designed in a modular fashion that it possesses a plurality of adjacently placed electronic modules, which respectively possess at least one adapter and an accessory internal electronic unit.
The adapter will conveniently comprise one adapter housing, in which a contact means carrier is arranged, which bears both the first electrical interface means and also the electrical contact means of the associated electrical terminal means. This will render possible a separate production of the adapter components serving purely mechanical purposes and of those serving electrical purposes. In this case it is more especially possible for the electrical terminal means to possess mechanical attachment means, which render possible the mechanical fixation of the electrical lines to be connected, which lead to external equipment, and which are designed in the form of a component of the adapter housing, it is being more particularly possible to have an integral structure of the mechanical attachment means and of the adapter housing.
The contact means carrier is preferably designed in the form of a board or plate and may more especially be constituted by a printed circuit board fitted with contact means and with the first electrical interface means.
A particularly compact arrangement results if the adapter is designed as a cover of the base so that, when the adapter is removed, an access opening in the base is uncovered for the associated mounting site, such opening permitting access to the internal electronic unit.
The second electrical interface means responsible for producing the electrical connection with the adapter are preferably provided directly on the internal electronic unit and may thus be arranged directly thereon during the manufacture thereof.
The internal electronic unit is conveniently accommodated in a principal housing body of the electronic part, which together with the adapter, designed in the form of a cover, may constitute the housing of the electronic part.
The internal electronic unit is conveniently produced on a printed circuit board and accordingly can be produced in an extremely simple fashion and installed on the base.
In connection with the modular connection technology it is advantageous for any possibly present optical display means and/or markings, which for instance indicate the state of actuation of the internal electronic unit, not to be provided on the adapter but rather on the electronic unit. In this case same will not be touched on replacement of the adapter. In order nevertheless to leave the optical display and/or the markings readily visible from the outside for the observer, the adapter is preferably at least partially and preferably entirely made transparent, i. e. to this extent it consists of transparent material, and accordingly means that the optical displays and/or markings are conveniently made visible. In this connection it is possible to provide for the markings to be provided on a more particularly replaceable label means of the internal electronic unit, which may have light guide channels or conductors, through question the optical signals produced by the optical display means can be passed to a transparent portion of the adapter.
In the following the invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.